Mike Mearls tweet: Is the Known World of Mystara coming to 5e? (What's Cool About Mystara?)

[Zardnaar]

Played Mystara a few years ago. I liked it. Have ported a few things to homebrew as the PCs won't notice what I mined as its to obscure for modern players.

Took some names from the Hollow World plus Nithia and Knights of Vanya. There is a seed of Mystara in the DMG (Isle of Dread).

 

[Dungeonosophy]

There is a seed of Mystara in the DMG (Isle of Dread).

Yeah true, Mystara's Isle of Dread has really made the rounds...to 3E Oerth...to the Feywild of 4E Nerath...to the Feywild of 5E Planes of Existence. It's become one of those locations (like the Keep on the Borderland) that exists in multiple worlds.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My opinion is this may be a "weather sounding balloon", a trick to test us and to know our reactions. Are we interested about its return? This line isn't so famous like Fogorten Realms, Greyhawk or Dragonlance, but it is still D&D and it could be used to make money with other products, for example videogames.

 

[jayoungr]

My thought is that there is a general hunger for a big campaign setting release. Some are pro Forgotten Realms, others want a different setting to be resurrected. Personally, I'd love to see an entirely new setting as there is minimal conversion needed to use most of the old stuff already.

There are plenty of entirely new settings being released for 5E, though--does it have to come from WOTC?

 

[Hjorimir]

There are plenty of entirely new settings being released for 5E, though--does it have to come from WOTC?

No, not necessarily. Though I do value production value. I have the Midgard Worldbook (backed it on KS) and Primeval Thule on PDF. One of the things that attracts me to a campaign setting is how it deviates from the vanilla. What I mean by that is how is it different from the implied kitchen sink setting from the core books? Sometimes the most interesting thing about a setting is what it doesn't include. Like it or hate it, Krynn felt different coming out of the gates because there are no orcs or halflings. What the heck is a kender? Then once we started encountering the draconians we were in completely new territory. I know that sounds old and boring today, but back when DL landed it was fantastic and fresh.

I'm drawn more to settings like Planescape and Al-Qadim if only because they feel radically different from the canned eurocentric settings we normally see.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

* Mystara is a zany, gonzo, "1980s cartoon action hour" D&D setting.

What I mean to say is the Mystara has a sorta "Thundarr the Barbarian meets Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meets Usagi Yojimbo meets Silver Surfer" vibe. That is different from FR and Greyhawk.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

I'm drawn more to settings like Planescape and Al-Qadim if only because they feel radically different from the canned eurocentric settings we normally see.

The prevalence of non-European cultures, which are geographically seeded amongst the European-inspired cultures, does shift Mystara somewhat away from eurocentrism. Whereas Faerun and Golarion's continent of Avistan are clearly continental analogues of Europe (vis-a-vis Kara-Tur, Zakhara, Katashaka, and Maztica, or Golarion's continents of Tian Xia, Casmaron, Garund, and Arcadia), the Known World isn't. The Known World's "Mongolian" (Ethengar), "Arab" (Ylaruam), "Indigenous American" (Atruaghin), "Polynesian" (Makai), "South Asian" (Sind), and "Tibetan" (Lhamsa) nationalities are located smack dab amongst the more European-inspired nations. And the KW isn't situated like Europe on the world map - it's located where southeastern North America would be. These factors make for a somewhat different vibe. Kaleidoscope?

 

[Winterthorn]

The prevalence of non-European cultures, which are geographically seeded amongst the European-inspired cultures, does shift Mystara somewhat away from eurocentrism. Whereas Faerun and Golarion's continent of Avistan are clearly continental analogues of Europe (vis-a-vis Kara-Tur, Zakhara, Katashaka, and Maztica, or Golarion's continents of Tian Xia, Casmaron, Garund, and Arcadia), the Known World isn't. The Known World's "Mongolian" (Ethengar), "Arab" (Ylaruam), "Indigenous American" (Atruaghin), "Polynesian" (Makai), "South Asian" (Sind), and "Tibetan" (Lhamsa) nationalities are located smack dab amongst the more European-inspired nations. And the KW isn't situated like Europe on the world map - it's located where southeastern North America would be. These factors make for a somewhat different vibe. Kaleidoscope?

Kaleidoscope, mish-mash, mosaic, a riot of dominions, all good ways to describe the political and cultural geography of Mystara. A delightful non-eurocentric mess of familiar cultures borrowed from our own history plopped upon a map of Pangea that, as a whole, possesses its own fantastic charm - and the primary reason the known World/Mystara will always be the gonzo realm in my heart

 

[Winterthorn]

I think there is enough here to convince that Mystara is a sufficiently interesting and different setting. (although I would categorise Krynn as also quite cartoonish).

I do think there is a huge demand for a 5e campaign setting book that is anything other than FR now, and I think the situation has changed since the policy of "everything is FR"* was created - D&D is far more popular now than it was back then. I also think it would be a bad idea to create something completely new - nostalgia is one of the driving factors behind D&D's resurgent popularity.


*Although this was never completely true - dwarf, elf and halfling subrace names in 5e has always been taken from Greyhawk.

I agree. I get the feeling there is a famine for settings for 5E from WotC. They are sitting upon a treasure trove of setting material, and this edition of the game is a great opportunity to bring something back to the table. And the ultimate fuel for this: nostalgia. Nostalgia is currently a huge driver in the entertainment industry, directly or indirectly - just look at the films and genres getting a reboot. (Lack of imagination and risk aversion on the part of businesses is a factor too, lol.) Of course people will eventually get tired of it, and want something new, but in terms of the entertainment industry's search for profits, nostalgia is in the driver's seat right now. I don't expect WotC to publish Mystara 5E, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did, and, I admit, I would be delighted too!

 

[Hjorimir]

I agree. I get the feeling there is a famine for settings for 5E from WotC. They are sitting upon a treasure trove of setting material, and this edition of the game is a great opportunity to bring something back to the table. And the ultimate fuel for this: nostalgia. Nostalgia is currently a huge driver in the entertainment industry, directly or indirectly - just look at the films and genres getting a reboot. (Lack of imagination and risk aversion on the part of businesses is a factor too, lol.) Of course people will eventually get tired of it, and want something new, but in terms of the entertainment industry's search for profits, nostalgia is in the driver's seat right now. I don't expect WotC to publish Mystara 5E, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did, and, I admit, I would be delighted too!

I'm definitely feeling the nostalgia in 5e (in a good way). 5e has brought me back to the gaming of my childhood. It's like listening to Greta Van Fleet and being reminded of the mighty Led Zeppelin. I may have preferences for which campaign settings I'd love to see re-published for 5e, but who am I kidding? I'd buy any campaign setting book they put out...even Forgotten Realms.